Midstate briefs: Dec. 8

Gifted education expert to speak at school event

Metro Schools will host gifted education expert Karen Rogers on Wednesday and Thursday as she speaks to district teachers and parents.

Rogers will make a public presentation about how to best identify a student's individual talents and needs. She will speak at the Martin Professional Development Center on Fairfax Avenue at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. She also will hold professional development workshops for the district's Advanced Academic Department on Wednesday and Thursday.

Rogers is a professor of gifted studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis and the author of four books about her field.

- Brian Wilson, The Tennessean

County homicide victims' memorial set for Thursday

The Metro Police Department on Thursday will hold its 19th annual Season to Remember commemoration ceremony to honor homicide victims of Davidson County.

The family and friends of victims will be able to attend the event and hang ornaments on a Christmas tree at Centennial Park meant to honor and remember their loved ones.

The ceremony is expected to start around 5:45 p.m. at the children's garden in Centennial Park.

- Brian Wilson, The Tennessean

Former jailer charged with aggravated statutory rape

A Murfreesboro man turned himself in Thursday morning after an indictment on six counts of aggravated statutory rape, according to Rutherford County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni.

Gammon, a former employee of the sheriff's office, is the son of RCSO Deputy Chief Virgil Gammon. His job as jailer at the Rutherford County Detention Center was terminated in 2012, Marchesoni added. She did not have details available on that firing.

Drew Gammon was released on $25,000 bond.

In 2009, while still employed with the sheriff's office, Drew Gammon was accused of breaking the windshield of a friend's vehicle while he was intoxicated, according to a Daily News Journal report. He was not charged in the incident.

- Michelle Willard, Gannett Tennessee

Schools director earns high marks on evaluation

The director of Rutherford County Schools received an overall 4.64 out of 5 on his annual evaluation, completed by board members and administrators.

Don Odom said his positive 2012-13 school year evaluation was a reflection of the work of the entire county system.

"It's not just me," Odom said. "It's the team. We have lots of good people working for you and the students of Rutherford County. That's how you're successful. I'm a firm believer in a collaboration model."

In a section of the evaluation where Odom was scored by board members, his highest mark was a 4.8 out of 5 for staff and personnel relationships. His lowest mark was a 4.43 for vision.

Administrators rated Odom a 2.77 out of 3 based on 20 indicators, which range from "the director develops clear expectations" to "the director listens to suggestions from the administrative staff." More than half of the administrators in Rutherford County Schools completed the evaluation, according to Randall Bennett, executive director and general counsel for the Tennessee School Boards Association.

- Amanda Haggard, Gannett Tennessee

TCAT lands $625K grant for new equipment

Gov. Bill Haslam wants to attack the state's skills deficit by funding more technological programs, and to help accomplish his goal he announced on Tuesday a $625,007 grant to fund equipment for the Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro.

The grant for the school's Old Fort Parkway campus will address needs for equipment for instruction in mechanical systems, electronics, industrial motor controls, hydraulics, pneumatics and wiring. The school will be able to purchase several pieces of high-tech training equipment.

The grant is part of Haslam's Drive to 55 initiative, which aims to bring the percentage of Tennesseans with college degrees or certifications to 55 percent by the year 2025.

Haslam said Tennessee lags behind the national average for higher education, ranking 42nd, with only 32 percent of working adults with a two-year degree or higher.

James King, Tennessee Board of Regents vice chancellor for TCAT, said the school will use the equipment purchased with the grant to train skilled workers for companies like Nissan and its Smyrna plant.

- Michelle Willard, Gannett Tennessee

Franklin, Brentwood may split lobbyist cost

Franklin and Brentwood are exploring splitting the cost of a $35,000 contract to hire lobbyists at law firm Frost Brown Todd LLC who would track legislative bills and meet with leaders in the General Assembly about issues pertaining to the cities.

In recent years, neither city has employed a lobbyist, relying on the Tennessee Municipal League, which lobbies for its member cities as well as local elected officials. Both cities plan to remain members.

While neither city has employed lobbyists recently, the Williamson County Board of Education contracted with two lobbyists in February to promote proposed legislation. The pair received $15,000 each through the legislative session. The board has not renewed the contract for the upcoming session.

- Kevin Walters, The Tennessean

Williamson library will accept writer submissions

Soon, hopeful authors can send their best pitches to the Williamson County Public Library for a chance to be published.

Early next year, the library will announce an open-submissions deadline for any genre. Members of a writers critique group, 95 percent of whom are published authors, will consider the submissions. Once writers are chosen, library staff will help them through the publishing process.

The library is one of the first in the country to offer publishing services.

Writers do not have to live in Williamson County to submit. No fees will be charged, and the chosen writers will receive proceeds from the books.

- Vicky Travis, The Tennessean

Franklin to pay down pension with $10M in bonds

Franklin aldermen have agreed to issue $10 million in bonds that would go toward paying down the city's pension fund obligation.

Since 2005, Franklin has contributed an average of $4 million but is upping its amount for the coming year to cover "the last mile" needed to have its pension fund fully funded, said City Administrator Eric Stuckey. The bonds should be issued Thursday.

- Kevin Walters, The Tennessean

Lebanon Council defers vote on events center

The Lebanon City Council voted to defer an ordinance that would establish an entertainment district so local tax shares within that zone could go toward a new multipurpose events center.

The ordinance also would allow Lebanon to seek a partnership with Wilson County and Wilson County Schools to participate by contributing their takes of tax revenues within the entertainment district. The county and school board would have to agree to participate.

The proposed $40 million events center is part of the master plan for the Cumberland Center - a 165-acre retail and office development near Interstate 40 and Highway 231 in Lebanon.

Wilson County is looking at building its own separate events center at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center and also presented an impact study on that venue last week.

- Andy Humbles, The Tennessean

County mayor's office reps to be at Mt. Juliet Chamber

Representatives from the Wilson County Mayor's Office will be available to meet with the public from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Dec. 18 at the Mt. Juliet West Wilson Chamber of Commerce, at 46 W. Caldwell St. in Mt. Juliet.

The representatives will provide community updates and answer questions on city-related topics. No reservations are required.

- Andy Humbles, The Tennessean

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Midstate briefs: Dec. 8

Metro Schools will host gifted education expert Karen Rogers on Wednesday and Thursday as she speaks to district teachers and parents.

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